Geering Dispute A “Service” To N.Z.

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31784, 14 September 1968, Page 12

Geering Dispute A “Service” To N.Z.

Professor L. G. Geering had rendered a great service to the people of New Zealand bybringing to their notice his views of the wide range of theological thought such as was found in Great Britain, Europe and the United States, said the Moderator of the Presbyterian 'Church in New Zealand (the Rt Rev. E. Gi Jansen) in Christchurch yesterday.

“This controversy has been a very good thing, not only for those in the Presbyterian Church, but for the total populace,” said Mr Jansen. “It is right that we in New Zealand should learn about this range of thought.” Mr Jansen, who arrived in Christchurch this week for a two weeks visit to parishes, schools and institutions within the Christchurch Presbytery, said he found the Presbyterian Church less disturbed by the controversy than he had expected. A great many people did not understand clearly what happened at the last General Assembly, he said. The words “no doctrinal error” in the motion clearing Professor

Geering had led many people to believe that the Presbyterian Church had abandoned its doctrinal standards. “The church has great varieties of opinion and this is to be expected,” said Mr Jansen. “Only a sect excludes people of different convictions. “In clearing Professor Geering the church said it refused to discipline him, but it did not endorse everything he believes. It allows his freedom of belief.” Mr Jansen said he would have preferred the New Zealand Association of Presbyterian Laymen to have appealed to the Assembly’s committee on doctrine rather than to produce a statement on its own. Mr Jansen said the Presbyterian Church and other nonconformist churches, including the Methodist Church, the Congregational Union and the Associated Churches of Christ had almost no remaining differences and were ready for union. The Inclusion of the Anglican Church in negotiations would, however, seriously delay union for several years. He said he would have preferred to have seen an immediate union of the Nonconformist churches and another union with the Anglican Church in a few years.

The main area of differences included matters of episcopy and the concept of the ministry and meaning of ordination, he said.